team

[Toronto, Ontario, March 5, 2021] Vertu Partners Fund I, a private equity fund that focuses on high-potential technology businesses in the Canadian lower mid-market, announced today that veteran tech executive and entrepreneur, Jason Smith, has joined as an operating advisor.   

Jason is a highly regarded Canadian tech entrepreneur with more than 25 years of experience building market leading disruptive fintec companies across North America.  In 2004 Jason founded Real Matters, Inc., a proprietary software platform that automates mortgage lending and insurance services and now serves a majority of the Tier I banks in the US and Canada. Jason has navigated the company from inception to scale and through five rounds of financing, including its Initial Public Offering in May 2017.

Full profile here.

Lisa Melchior, Founder & Managing Partner, said “Jason is one of Canada’s top technology leaders who has successfully executed on his vision to build scaled tech businesses.  I am thrilled that he is joining our network of operating advisors and will share his experience to support the growth of Vertu’s portfolio companies. As a board member of Real Matters, I have first-hand knowledge of Jason’s talent as a technology leader. Together, we will continue to position Canadian technology firms for growth and success.”

“As a founder and leader of Canadian technology companies from the concept stage up and through to the public markets, I know how important it is to be aligned with shareholders who partner with management and roll up their sleeves to make a difference. That partnership is a core principle at Vertu, and I look forward to working with Lisa and the team to share my experience with the next generation of tech founders with bold and ambitious goals,” said Jason Smith.     

Vertu Partners Fund I is managed by Vertu Capital, formed in 2017, a Toronto-based private equity firm that focuses on growth-oriented enterprise software or software-enabled businesses in the Canadian lower mid-market. Founded by Lisa Melchior, a 20+ year private equity professional with a technology track record that includes more than $1 billion of invested capital, Vertu offers deep global sector-focused experience to high potential Canadian technology businesses seeking transformational growth.

[Toronto, Ontario, June 2, 2020] VERTU Capital, a private equity firm that focuses on high-potential enterprise software or software-enabled businesses in the Canadian lower mid-market, announced today the addition of John Windover to its operating advisor bench. Mr. Windover is an experienced management consultant with over 22 years of experience advising investors and clients across a wide range of technology sectors. 

  Lisa Melchior, Founder and Managing Partner said, “John has been a trusted advisor both to me and to my Partner Gil Nayot for a number of years and we are delighted to welcome him as an operating advisor. His extensive global experience both conducting due diligence on technology businesses and advising technology clients across a variety of key performance issues will be extremely valuable to Vertu and its portfolio companies. I look forward to working with John as we position Canadian technology firms for continued growth and success.”

“I have worked with Lisa and Gil for years on many successful technology investments and I am absolutely thrilled to advise them and the broader VERTU team.  There is a real need for growth capital for Canadian technology companies which VERTU is uniquely well-positioned to address” said Mr. Windover.

Mr. Windover is currently a Senior Partner and Director in Bain & Company’s Private Equity Practice.  John has assessed hundreds of assets in diligence and worked with the management teams of over 25 Private Equity owned portfolio companies to define and implement value creation plans.  His work with software and other technology companies has included corporate strategy, product development, salesforce effectiveness and operational improvements.  Mr. Windover holds a Ph.D. and M.Sc. in Engineering from the University of California at Berkeley and a B.Sc. in Engineering from Queen’s University where he received the Gold Medal for highest standing across all Engineering programs. Full profile here.

VERTU Capital, formed in 2017, is a Toronto-based private equity firm the focuses on high-potential enterprise software or software-enabled businesses in the Canadian lower mid-market. Founded by Lisa Melchior, a 20+ year private equity professional with a technology track record that includes more than $1 billion of invested capital, VERTU brings deep global private equity experience to high potential Canadian technology businesses seeking transformational growth. 

[Toronto, Ontario, February 13, 2020] VERTU Capital, a Toronto-based technology-focused private equity firm, announced today the expansion of its operating advisory network with the addition of five highly regarded industry experts.

Lisa Melchior, Founder and Managing Partner said, “We are excited to welcome this group of exceptional professionals to our team of operating advisors. The addition of their diverse domain, sector experience and global networks substantially adds to our ability to drive growth and implement operating best practices in our portfolio.  Developing our firm’s  senior-level operations expertise reaffirms our focus on building stronger Canadian technology companies through value-add partnership with top tier talent.”

Who Are They?

Chris Fabre is a veteran middleware executive who has led fast-paced technology companies through disruptive innovation, market expansion and diversification. Mr. Fabre was formerly the Chief Executive Officer of Axway where he served on the Executive Board of Sopra Steria before taking Axway public. He developed global technological leadership and completed seven accretive acquisitions. He is currently the Chief Executive Officer of Sky Republic, an enterprise blockchain company he founded in 2016. Mr. Fabre holds a degree in computer engineering from Université Joseph Fourier and is a graduate of INSEAD’s Management Accelerator program.

Andrea Garson is a seasoned Human Resources Executive and a leading authority on culture, engagement, leadership development, and attracting and retaining key talent. She is the Founder & Principal of Breaking Glass Inc., a boutique HR Consulting firm, and has over 27 years of HR experience working with Tier 1 organizations. During her time as Vice President of Human Resources at Workopolis, the company was recognized with numerous awards, including being the first company honoured by the ‘Canada’s 10 Most Admired Corporate Cultures’ program with the “Best Emerging Organization” distinction.  Ms. Garson holds a Bachelor of Science and an MBA from Dalhousie University.

Rick Huff is a B2B SaaS markets executive with over 25-years of experience driving growth through sales and marketing leadership.  Mr. Huff was one of the founding executives of KUBRA, North America’s leading billing technology solution for utilities. During his tenure he led the company’s growth from USD $250,000 in revenue to over USD $160 million. He also helped manage the sale of KUBRA in 2014 to the Hearst Corporation in New York. Mr. Huff holds an Honors Commerce Degree from McMaster University and is a graduate of the Hearst Management Institute.

Ansa Sekharan is a B2B software customer success executive with over two decades of experience delivering pace-setting transformation(s) in areas of customer experience, service automation and ARR Growth. Under his leadership, his firm has been ranked as number one in customer loyalty in the data integration enterprise software sector for 12 years in a row. Mr. Sekharan was one of the early employees at Informatica and currently serves as the company’s Executive Vice President & Chief Customer Officer. He also serves on the Support Advisory Board at Technology Services Industry Association. He graduated with honors from the University of Tulsa, where he earned a master’s degree in Computer Science. Mr. Sekharan earned a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from The National Institute of Technology.

Vineet Walia is a veteran technology executive with deep experience in business transformation and strategic planning. He is currently the Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer at Informatica, responsible for accelerating business transformations that drive growth. Prior to Informatica, Mr. Walia held senior leadership roles at Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Juniper Networks, leading company-wide transformations. Mr. Walia holds a Master of Business Administration with honors in Corporate Finance from Bentley University, Massachusetts.

VERTU Capital, formed in 2017, is a Toronto-based mid-market private equity firm focused on enterprise software and software-enabled businesses.  Founded by Lisa Melchior, a 20+ year private equity professional with a track record that includes more than $1 billion of invested capital, VERTU brings deep global private equity experience to high potential Canadian technology businesses seeking transformational growth.